Package for dosage units

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to packages for dosage units comprising a sheet-like holder in which the dosage units are arranged in rows and a wallet in which the holder is removably enclosed, the wallet having an internal shape complementary to the external shape of the wallet such that the holder can be inserted in the wallet in only one position.

United States Patent Beckham 51 July 18, 1972 54] PACKAGE FOR DOSAGEUNITS [56] References Cited [72] Inventor: Robinson Beckham, Durham,England UNITED STATES PATENTS [73] Assi e B D H Hunu l Li i d, Edi3,324,995 6/1967 Sharp; Jr ..206/42 burgh, Scotland 3,428,167 2/ 1969Hung Tao Sheng..... [22] Filed: April 22 1970 3,554,429 1/1971 Cohen..206/73 X PP 30,822 Primary Excminer.loseph R. Leclair AssistantExaminer-Stephen P. Garbe 30 Foreign A fl fi priority Data Attorney-W.R. Liberman April 25, 1969 Great Britain ..2l,18l/69 [57] ABSTRACT [52]11.8. C1. ..206/42, 150/52 R, 206/46 P, This invention relates topackages for dosage units comprising 229/11. a sheet-like holder inwhich the dosage units are arranged in 1 fm 3659 83/04 rows and a walletin which the holder is removably enclosed, [5 8] F mid of Search..206/42, DIG. 5, 46 P, 56 AB; the wallet having an internal shapecomplementary to the ISO/0.5, 52 R, 39; 229/9, 11; 116/121 temal shapeof the wallet such that the holder can be inserted in the wallet in onlyone position.

3 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures Patented July 18, 1972 3,677,397

99929... 3 R92. SEQ. 2 1 2 @OQG FIG.2

FIGB. ,7

( Qllq Q 9.9.. 2 \QllQQ Q 9* GOOD INVENTCDR 508mm 6 4m ATTORNEY PACKAGEFOR DOSAGE UNITS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In much drug therapy it isnecessary for drugs to be administered orally in accordance with a rigidregimen requiring that drugs in mixed dosage forms are administered in astrict sequence. For example, it is commonplace to supply oralcontraceptive drugs in packs or containers each containing a number oftablets, usually 21 to 28, which have to be taken in a strict sequenceover a cycle of, usually, 21 to 28 days. Some of the tablets in such apack contain contraceptive drugs and others in the same pack are placebotablets which have no contraceptive effect. If the tablets are notadministered in the proper sequence, conception becomes possible.v

An object of the invention is to provide a pack which enables drugs tobe taken in a predetermined sequence with less risk of error than isusual with known packs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENTA wallet pack for containing drugs comprises a holder 1, for

tablets in the form of a laminated sheet of plastics material or card orother suitable material. The holder is conveniently in the form of arigid or semi-rigid sheet of plastics material formed with a pluralityof bubbles or blisters 2 arranged in horizontal and vertical rows. Asheet of frangible metal foil is affixed to one side of the plasticssheet. A tablet is contained in each bubble or blister 2. The tabletsare ejected by pressing on the blisters 2 so that the tablet breaksthrough the frangible metal foil. Such holders are in common use and areusually known as blister packs.

The holder 1 of the present invention has its opposite side edgesprovided with inwardly directed shoulders 3 so that the holder has oneportion, hereinafter considered the bottom portion, which is narrowerthan the other or top portion. If desired, the side edges of thisnarrower bottom portion can, converge towards the bottom edge.Alternatively, the holder can have opposite side edges which converge toa third or bottom edge as shown in FIG. 3.

The blisters 2 are arranged in this holder 1 in horizontal and verticalrows. Sufficient space is left on the holder above the top row ofblisters to enable an indicator 4, hereinafter called a day strip, to befixed in the space on the side of the holder covered by the transparentplastics material.

The day strip 4 can have a surface on which a user of the package canwrite directions for taking the drug.

Alternatively, the day strip can form part of a day card suppliedseparately with the holder. The day card consists of seven strips ofmaterial separated from each other by rows of perforations or othermeans which enable the strips to be torn off from the card. The stripseach contain indications of the desired sequence for administration ofthe drugs. Thus, for example, each of the strips has printed on it thename of one of the days of the week and each of these indicationsregisters with one of the vertical rows of blisters-on the holder therebeing seven such vertical rows. The day card includes 7 day strips andthe indications on each of the strips begins with a different day of theweek and then runs through the remainder of the days in the propersequence. Thus, the first strip has Sunday printed to register with thefirst vertical row and Saturday to register with the last vertical rowwhile the second strip has Monday printed to register with the firstvertical row and Sunday to register with the last and so on. When thetablets are supplied the desired starting day for the treatment orsequence of drugs is selected and the strip for that sequence is tornoff and affixed above the top row of blisters. The other strips are thendiscarded. The dosage scheme is then carried out by taking all of thetablets in the top or first horizontal row and then carrying on throughthe tablets in the second horizontal row and so on until the tablets areall exhausted. If it is desired to continue the dosage scheme it is thennecessary to obtain a new holder.

The holder 1 is removably contained in a wallet pack 5. The internalshape of the wallet pack 5 is complementary to that of the externalshape of the holder 1 so that the holder can only be inserted in thewallet pack in one position which is the correct position. The upperedge of the wallet 5 contains a notch 6 which facilitates the removal ofthe holder 1. The clay strip will of course, emerge first when theholder is withdrawn from the wallet and the uppermost row of blisterswill be the first row to emerge. The tablets which are taken are alwaystaken from the first emerging row.

The wallet pack is made of plastics material with a discreet styling orget-up" and is of such a size that it can be carried in a womenshandbag.

Both the wallet pack and the holder are disposable.

The top portion of the wallet 5 is provided with a means 7 whichcooperates with notch 6 to assist in the extraction of the holder fromthe wallet.

What we claim is:

l. A package for dosage units comprising a generally flat sheet-likesupport member of trapezoidal outline having a first short edge parallelto a longer opposite edge a pair of sides joining the ends of the shortand longer edges, means on the support to receive therewithin aplurality of dosage units in rows parallel to the short and longerparallel edges, indicia receiving means on the support between the saidlonger edge and the first of the dosage units receiving rows, agenerally trapezoidal container for the support having an openingthereunto longer than the aforementioned short edge of the support andmeans on the support, adjacent the indicia receiving means, andextending axially of the support beyond the longer edge thereofproviding a manually engageable finger grip for the insertion andwithdrawal of the support into and out of the folder.

2. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the holder has two oppositeside edges formed with inwardly directed shoulders so that the holderhas two portions one of which is of smaller area than the other, aplurality of dosage units being arranged in parallel rows in the portionof smaller area and an indicator strip being provided on the portion oflarger area.

3. A package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support has two oppositenon-parallel side edges which converge towards the short edge.

1. A package for dosage units comprising a generally flat sheetlikesupport member of trapezoidal outline having a first short edge parallelto a longer opposite edge a pair of sides joining the ends of the shortand longer edges, means on the support to receive therewithin aplurality of dosage units in rows parallel to the short and longerparallel edges, indicia receiving means on the support between the saidlonger edge and the first of the dosage units receiving rows, agenerally trapezoidal container for the support having an openingthereunto longer than the aforementioned short edge of the support andmeans on the support, adjacent the indicia receiving means, andextending axially of the support beyond the longer edge thereofproviding a manually engageable finger grip for the insertion andwithdrawal of the support into and out of the folder.
 2. A package asclaimed in claim 1 wherein the holder has two opposite side edges formedwith inwardly directed shoulders so that the holder has two portions oneof which is of smaller area than the other, a plurality of dosage unitsbeing arranged in parallel rows in the portion of smaller area and anindicator strip being provided on the portion of larger area.
 3. Apackage as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support has two oppositenon-parallel side edges which converge towards the short edge.